Free camping near Salem, UT
Within 25 straight-line miles of Salem, UT there are 26 camps: 8 free, 18 fee. The closest is Maple Bench, 6.5 miles south of town. The closest one our audit calls free is USFS dispersed camp — Utah County, UT, 9.3 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 24 on the Forest Service; 1 on the BLM; 1 on Utah Trust Lands Administration.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Bench | 6.5 | Fee | — | 3.4 mi to Elk Ridge | — |
| Maple Lake | 7.0 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Elk Ridge | — |
| Payson Lakes | 8.6 | Fee | — | 5.6 mi to Woodland Hills | — |
| Whiting | 9.0 | Fee | — | 2.6 mi to Mapleton | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — Utah County, UT | 9.3 | Free | Wimmer Ranch Creek (stream) | 4.3 mi to Birdseye | — |
| Tinney Flat | 11 | Fee | — | 5.3 mi to Rocky Ridge | — |
| Blackhawk | 11 | Fee | — | 8.1 mi to Woodland Hills | — |
| Diamond | 13 | Fee | — | 8.2 mi to Mapleton | — |
| Cherry | 13 | Fee | — | 1.9 mi to Hobble Creek | — |
| Diamond Fork Group Sites | 15 | Fee | — | 9.7 mi to Hobble Creek | — |
| Lake Fork | 15 | Free | Lake Fork (stream) | 3.6 mi to Rio | — |
| Diamond Group Area | 15 | Free | — | — | — |
| BLM public landDave slept here | 15 | Free | — | 9.9 mi to Lake Shore | — |
| Rock Canyon | 16 | Free | — | 3.6 mi to Provo | — |
| Utah Trust Land Dispersed Camping — Utah County, UT (39.9033, -111.8938) | 16 | Free | Currant Creek (stream) | 3.2 mi to Starr | — |
| Dry Canyon (Diamond Fork) | 16 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Hobble Creek | — |
| National Guard Dispersed Area | 16 | Free | First Left Fork (stream) | 2.4 mi to Edgemont | — |
| Balsam | 17 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Hobble Creek | — |
| Hope | 17 | Fee | — | 4.2 mi to Orem | — |
| Sawmill Hollow | 18 | Fee | — | 9.0 mi to Hobble Creek | — |
| Bear Canyon | 19 | Fee | — | 6.2 mi to Mona | — |
| Cottonwood | 19 | Fee | — | 6.6 mi to Mona | — |
| Ponderosa | 20 | Fee | — | 7.4 mi to Mona | — |
| Unicorn Ridge Dispersed Campground | 20 | Free | Oak Spring Canyon (stream) | 4.7 mi to Mill Fork | — |
| Theater-In-The-Pines | 24 | Fee | — | 1.0 mi to Sundance | — |
| Mt Timpanogos | 24 | Fee | — | 1.2 mi to Sundance | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Salem, UT, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.